Pulled to the Dark (The Siriena Series)

by Julia P. Lynde

  "Buzz me up," she said.

  I did, then waited by the door for her. I held it open for her and she stepped in, looking around. The cats came out to investigate. She bent down, and both cats came straight to her.

  "They avoid most people," I said.

  "Maybe I seem familiar somehow," she said. She scratched their ears and received head butts against her ankles in return. She stood up and turned to me. "Will you show me around, Felicia?"

  "Certainly." I showed her the kitchen, living room, and bedroom, and I was happy I was in the habit of keeping the apartment presentable.

  "Very nice," she said. She pointed to my closet door. "Closet?" I nodded. "Do you mind if I snoop?" I shook my head.

  She strode to the door and opened it. The closet was one of the reasons I loved the apartment. Apartments with walk-in closets are rare. She looked through the clothes for a minute, and I felt inadequate. She exited the closet and closed the door. I was having a hard time looking at her. She walked up to me and looked down at me. I didn't meet her eyes. She reached out with a hand and lifted my chin to look at her.

  "I didn't come to embarrass you," she said. "I wanted to know what we're working with. My closet looked much like yours when I was your age, although my apartment was much messier than yours."

  I stared into her eyes and wanted her to kiss me. She stepped away and said, "Shall we go?" She led the way to the front door then turned around and asked, "Do you have a credit card?"

  "Yes," I said.

  "Bring it," she said. "I'll explain on the way to the office."

  I collected my purse and followed her out of the apartment, pulling the door closed behind me. She led the way to her car and held the door for me as I climbed in. Once we were on the way, she said, "Friday was payday. You should have gotten a direct deposit. Did you check for it?"

  "Yes," I said. "Thank you."

  "Did you notice it was somewhat larger than you expected?"

  I looked over at her. "I thought it was bigger than it should be." I thought about it. "By several hundred dollars."

  "It should have been almost exactly four hundred dollars bigger, after tax. We're spending it when the stores open."

  A blush started from the base of my neck and climbed all the way to my scalp, knowing she was telling me my wardrobe was inadequate. She glanced over and noticed my reaction. "We do this with virtually every new employee," she said. "Karen had two cheap suits and three blouses she was rotating between."

  She negotiated traffic. "How do you feel about your job so far?"

  "I love it," I told her. "I finally feel like I'm where I belong."

  "I know exactly what you mean," she told me. She paused. "I was hoping you'd feel that way. We're making an investment in you. We want you with us for a very long time." She reached over and patted my hand briefly, and I realized I was disappointed when she put her hand back on the steering wheel.

  What was with me lately?

  Petra pulled into the underground parking below our office building and we rode the elevator, chatting casually. We arrived at our floor and she said, "please be at my office right at nine-thirty. We'll go spend your money and make it back here in time for the dojo."

  "The dojo is never optional," I said, grinning.

  "That's right."

  Andrea arrived shortly after I did and pulled me into her office. She dictated what she needed from me. "Get as much done as you can before you go shopping. See me after lunch and we'll go from there."

  I arrived at Petra's office just as the clock hit nine-thirty. She looked up at me and smiled, rose to her feet, and gestured back out the door. We rode the elevator back to her car. As she had that morning, she held the car door for me as I climbed in.

  "Your suits are adequate," she said. "Barely. Your blouses are not. You and I will go shopping together after every payday until I am satisfied you can finish building your wardrobe on your own."

  "Thank you, Petra," I said.

  "You are welcome," she said. Then she talked about silk blouses.

  Our shopping trip was very efficient. Petra knew which store she wanted, and there was a sale. My eyes still bugged out at the prices. We selected two silk blouses that would consume the entire four hundred dollars. I turned to her. "Would it be your intention for me to buy more of these next time?"

  "Yes," she said.

  "Is there some reason we aren't going whole hog today?"

  "Yes," she said. "The damage to your bank account."

  I thought about it. "This card has a sixteen-hundred dollar maximum. I never use it. Would you like to max it out with me?"

  She smiled. "You're sure? You won't be getting a twelve-hundred dollar bonus to cover it."

  I nodded.

  We barely made it back to the office in time.

  "Leave everything in the car," she said. "I'll drive you home tonight."

  * * *

  My dream that night was especially lovely. Dream Petra lied down next to me and caressed my body. It was slow and lovely. Before I woke, she kissed me languorously.

  "Mine," she said into my ear as I woke.

  Charity

  Wednesday, I woke, made myself barely adequate to be seen in public, and rode the train to the office, carrying my clothes in a garment bag. I practiced my yoga poses for thirty or forty minutes, then showered and grabbed a bagel for breakfast, reaching my desk by seven-thirty.

  Andrea ran me ragged and kept me late, then apologized for it. "There is a charity event tomorrow night," she said. "My date cancelled. I need you to attend with me."

  "Yes, Andrea."

  "Bring a little black dress and appropriate shoes in your garment bag," she said, grinning. "I don't have time to come to get you, so I need you to ride home with me and we'll change there."

  I nodded.

  "They are going to ask for a donation," she said. "You are not obligated, but if you feel the charity is something you can morally support, then please give them something, even if it's only a few dollars. It is best to write a check." She paused. "Do not feel obligated or pressured to write a check any larger than you wish. If you don't like the charity, be polite, but don't give them your money."

  I nodded.

  I got home late but still went to bed on time.

  * * *

  Dream Petra was with me again that night. She smiled at me, humming, then took my hand in both of hers. I watched as she stroked and nibbled my fingers. I had other places I wanted her to stroke and nibble. Why were my dreams teasing me so badly?

  And why did I keep having the same dream night after night?

  Why was I having erotic dreams about my almost-boss?

  Still, I watched, enjoying the feel of her hands, lips and teeth on my fingers. Then, a finger twitched. In all my dreams with her so far, I hadn't moved more than my eyes. Her eyes jerked down to my hand. She caressed my palm, and my fingers curled, trying to trap hers.

  She set my hand down and clapped with joy.

  I woke.

  Where was my kiss?

  * * *

  Petra was at the dojo when I arrived. I smiled at her, blushing slightly, and disappeared into the changing room. When I came out, she was stretching. I picked a corner of the room and began my own yoga stretches. Fifteen minutes later she walked over to me.

  "Good morning, Felicia," she said. "Would you allow me to teach you two new poses?"

  "I would like that," I told her.

  When she touched me to help me adjust my form, it was all I could do to avoid leaning into her. "Get a grip, Felicia," I silently told myself.

  "At lunch, we'll be doing a yoga routine. These two positions will be included. There will be some you do not know. Until we have taught you, do not try to copy us. Instead, pick a pose you already know."

  She got up and stepped away but turned around and said, "Nice form."

  * * *

  Andrea owned a nice home in the western suburbs. I lived south, so I understood her reluctance to com
e get me before the event. We worked until six then I followed her down to her car.

  We arrived at her home, and she gave me a quick tour. We finished upstairs. She showed me to the guest bedroom and bathroom. "You may dress in here," she said. "This is going to happen periodically, where you'll accompany me to this event or that." She turned to the linen closet in the bathroom and pulled out a small basket. It was labeled "Felicia". Then she showed under the sink where she kept new supplies. Tooth brushes, toothpaste, things like that.

  "If you forgot anything, help yourself here to one of the new ones, then leave them in your basket and put it into the linen closet when you're done. They'll be waiting for you the next time I draft you for an event like this."

  "We need to leave precisely at seven-thirty. You have time. Feel free to shower if you like." She smiled. "That wasn't a hint, simply an offer. Meet me downstairs when you're ready."

  She left me standing there and walked down the hall to her own room.

  I didn't feel the need to shower, but I cleaned up thoroughly, freshened my make-up, then realized I hadn't brought a toothbrush, toothpaste, or deodorant. I found all waiting for me under the sink and helped myself as she'd indicated.

  This was a very strange job.

  I finished dressing, examined myself, and decided I looked as good as I was going to. I headed downstairs shortly after seven.

  Andrea had a room she referred to as "the library". I went in, found a book about ancient Crete I hadn't read, and settled in.

  Andrea came downstairs at seven-twenty. I heard her call my name. "Library," I said. "Coming."

  I was putting the book back when she stepped in. I turned around, and she was stunning.

  "All right," she said. "Let me see you. Hmm. Dress is under-stated like a little black dress should be. Those shoes look new."

  "They are."

  She stepped closer. "However, you are inadequately adorned. Come with me."

  I followed her to her back upstairs to her room. "First, let us make a few very minor adjustments."

  She brushed at my face with her cosmetic brushes and otherwise fussed at me for just a moment. "There. Now, adornment." She stepped to her dresser and opened a large jewelry box. "Come here, please."

  I stepped up next to her. She held one set of earrings to my ears, then another. "Maybe these," she said with the third. Then she went through her necklaces. "Hmm. None of these. We'll break out the big guns."

  I watched as she disappeared into her closet and returned after a moment with a jewelry case. The case looked expensive.

  "The jewelry is a loan," she said. Then she draped the most amazing white gold, diamond, amethyst necklace around my neck and fastened it. "Yes, that works, but not with these earrings." She selected a set of earrings, removed the ones I was wearing, and replaced them with hers. "There. Much better."

  She pulled me to a mirror and I gawked at myself.

  She looked at me once more. "One more touch." She stepped to her closet and returned with a pashmina. She draped it over my shoulders. "Perfect."

  I was too stunned by everything to say a word. Instead I followed her meekly down the stairs and back to her car.

  As we drove, she said, "You are my date tonight. I hate attending these events alone. I had a very nice gentleman lined up, but he was called out of town on business. It is way too late to call anyone else and say, 'You were not my first choice, but would you come anyway?'"

  "I understand," I said. "Except about the date part."

  "That is probably a poor word choice on my part," she said. "In an earlier age, I might have asked you to escort me to the event. But now that word has come to mean something else entirely."

  She paused while she navigated traffic.

  "It is easier for me to tell you what I don't mean. I am not attempting something that would result in a sexual harassment lawsuit. On the flip side, I would prefer you don't flirt with any gentlemen tonight. But I don't want you to act as an assistant, either. Perhaps 'companion' is a better word."

  I thought about it. "A date without the sexual undertones."

  "Is that all right?"

  "Yes. I am looking forward to it. Does that mean you're going to hold doors for me?"

  She laughed.

  We drove in silence for a few minutes.

  "I want to ask something, but I don't know if it's something I am supposed to figure out without asking."

  She laughed again. "You can always ask. Nothing is a test."

  "Am I being groomed for something?"

  She didn't answer right away.

  "Does silence mean 'yes'?" I asked after a minute. "Or does it mean, 'I am not answering that'?"

  "Silence means, 'I wasn't expecting you to figure it out'. At least not so fast. Yes, you're being groomed. Do you mind?"

  "No. Is tonight part of the grooming?"

  "Yes. But before you ask, yes, there was a gentleman. Yes, he cancelled this week. I've had tonight's tickets for months. However, I wasn't upset he cancelled, because it gave me an opportunity to invite you." She paused. "You're going to be around some fairly high powered clients in the future. This gives you a chance to get used to it when it doesn't matter."

  "All right," I said. "Thank you for explaining."

  The event was back downtown. We pulled off the freeway and navigated the surface streets. We pulled in front of a building. "This is the Women's Club," she said. "It's an amazing building."

  A valet opened both car doors for us. Mine handed me out and gave me an arm until Andrea had collected her parking ticket and stepped around to claim me. She offered an arm, and I took it. We stepped inside. She removed an envelope from her purse and presented her tickets as we stepped into the building.

  I stared around the building. It had high ceilings and fancy woodwork everywhere. "This is gorgeous," I said quietly.

  "Yes, isn't it? I make a point of attending events here because it's such a fabulous location."

  We stepped further into the building. There were little displays set up everywhere trying to explain what this particular charity did and why we should give them money. Here and there were hollow glass obelisks into which one could slide a donation. Some of the checks had several zeros on them.

  "Andrea," I said quietly after we passed one. "That seems..."

  "Tacky?"

  "Yes."

  "Some people believe that charitable giving should be flaunted," she said. "I will allow you to come to your own conclusions."

  "So if one wished to provide a less obvious donation?"

  "There are opaque containers." She nodded towards one. "They themselves are perhaps less obvious."

  A waiter walked past, and Andrea collected two champagne flutes, handing me one.

  We roamed the building. Periodically Andrea encountered someone she knew. Sometimes she simply greeted them. With others, she joined into conversation. I held onto her arm and tried to look intelligent. I stayed out of the conversation until someone referred to the pyramids into which checks were being deposited.

  "It's an obelisk," I said quietly.

  "Excuse me?" I looked at the man who had misused the word. He was one of those types of men: fit, tight clothes, with perfect hair and a permanent sneer. His girlfriend was stunning and vacuous, the only type of woman he'd have who would possible have him. We were in a group of three other couples. I hadn't really been paying that much attention to the conversation, and there had been too many names flying around for me to remember any of them.

  "It's an obelisk," I said. "Not a pyramid. They're easy to confuse." I turned to Andrea. "What is it the charity does? The displays are all about the need for clean water in third world countries, but I haven't seen how they intend to use your money."

  "No," the man said. "It's a pyramid."

  I looked back at him. Andrea wasn't saying anything. I sighed. "You're partly right. The top is a pyramid. The entire structure is an obelisk." I turned back to Andrea again. "Is there a display that
explains how they propose to provide clean water? I'd like to know what they want to do with my money before I give them any."

  "I think I know a pyramid when I see one," he said.

  Andrea still wasn't rescuing me. Fine. I turned back to him. "And people used to think the world was flat, or that leeches were a good health treatment, or that trickle-down economics works."

  I watched him actually puff out his chest.

  I sighed. "Do you really want to get beat up by a girl over something so easy to check?" I asked him.

  His friends all said, "oooh" at that comment.

  "I think I know more about, well, everything than Andrea's pudgy assistant," he said. He looked me up and down derisively.

  "Seriously?" I asked him, getting angry. "Fine. Does anyone's smart phone have a signal?"

  Several phones came out. "Mine does," one of the women said.

  I released my arm from Andrea's, opened my purse and pulled out my checkbook. In front of everyone I wrote a check for a thousand dollars and signed it. "I have a check for this charity made out and ready to drop in the obelisk. Where is yours?" I let everyone see the check.

  I watched him reach into his coat pocket, withdraw his money clip, and count out ten one hundred dollar bills. Flashy asshole. I handed my check to Andrea and raised my eyebrow at him. He gave his cash to her as well. I turned to the woman with the working smart phone. "Obelisk. Look it up." I spelled it for her.

  She punched away at the phone, stared at it for a minute, then began laughing. "An obelisk is a square, tapered structure with a pyramid-like shape at the top." She turned to him. "You got owned by a girl, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."

  She leaned over and high-fived me.

  "Feed the obelisk, Jeremy," she said. She turned her phone to face him. "Here's a picture if the words are too complicated for you."

  I took my check back from Andrea and slipped it safely into my purse. Jeremy glared at me, especially when Andrea walked to the obelisk and one by one inserted the bills, making a big show of tapping the last one through the slot.

  Jeremy grabbed his girlfriend's arm and stormed off. Andrea returned to my side, and I clutched her arm again.